Beet-harvester.



No. 791.707. PATENTED JUNE 6, 1905. A. B; LOVETT.

BBBT HARVESTBR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1904.

To coZZ whom, it may concern:

UNITED STATES PatentedJune 6, 1905.

PATENT. OFFI E.

BEET-HARVl ISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,707, dated June 6,1905. Application filed September 29,1904. Serial No. 226,905

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. LOVETT, citizen of the United States,residing at Beulah, in the county of Benzie and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Beet-Harvesters; and

I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in beet-harvesters; and its objectis to provide improved means whereby beets and other like vegetables maybe removed from the soil and deposited upon a suitable conveyor or onthe surface of the soil and to provide the same with certain new anduseful features hereinafter more fully described, andparticularlypointed out in the claims.

It consists of the combination and ar- 7 rangement of devices, as willhereinafter appear by reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a plan view of a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2, acentral vertical section of the same; Fig. 3, an enlarged detail invertical section; Fig. 4, a detail in elevation of one of the cam-platesFig. 5, a plan view of the same; and Fig. 6 a detail of the cam-plate inhorizontal section, together with one of the liftingfingers.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all of the figures.

1 represents any suitable frame supported upon a pair of wheels 2,connected to a transverse s aft 3, from which shaft motion is taken tooperate the various rotating parts. 4 represents a U-shaped double beamconnected at the forward end to the frame 1 and extending rearward inparallel planes and thence downward and forwardin a curve, terminatingin suitable cutting forward edges or colters 6, adapted to sever thesoil at each side of the row of beets. Between these points is supporteda suitable plowshare 7, adapted to pass beneath the beets and raise thesame upward, together with the soil surrounding them.

8 is a transverse plate'at the rear of the share 7, pivoted at itsforward side and adconstitutes no necessary part of my invention. a

Above the share 7 is a transverse shaft 12, rotated by suitablesprocket-chains 13 13, e11- gaging suitable sprocket-wheels 14, 15, 16,and 17. The wheel 14 is fixed on the shaft 3, the wheel 17 on the shaft12, and the two wheels'15 and 16 on a counter-shaft 19, movablysupported upon the adjacent ends of suitable arms '18 and 20, pivotallyconnected by said shaft, the arms 18 being journaled on the shaft 3 andthe arms 20 on the shaft 12, whereby the motion is transmitted from theshaft 3 to the shaft 12, and the latter shaft permitted to rise andfall, as occasion may require.

On the shaft 12 and adjacent to the colters 6 are suitable disks 21,having sharp or beveled edges arranged to rotate close to the colters 6and provided with suitable radial recesses in which are mounted suitablerockshafts 23, projecting from the outer ends of which shafts are semental lifting-fingers 22,

which are adapted to swing outward perpendicular to the plane of thedisks and to turn Within recesses in the disks as the rockshafts 23 turnabout their respective axes. On the inner end of each rock-shaft is afractional pinion 24, having shoulders 25 at substantially right anglesto each other and adapted to engage and traverse suitable fixedcam-surfaces 27 on the cam-plates 26, attached to the beams 4 andprovided with teeth 28 to, engage the fractional pinion and turn therock-shafts so that the fingers22 will project outward from the disk.The

cam-surface 27 is broken away throughout a portion of the circumference,as at 29 in Fig. 4, and the cam-plate is provided with a suitable flange3 1 by means of which it is secured to the beams 4. The beams 4 are alsoprovided with a cross-stay 5, to which is attached any suitableelevating mechanism, (not shown,) by means of which the operativeportion of the device may be lifted clear of the soil when not inoperation.

When in operation, the beams 4 are lowered sufficiently to permit theshare 7 to enter the soil and run beneath the row of beets to beharvested. The colters 6 sever the soil at each side of the row, and theshare 7 raises the soil and loosens the same. The disks 21 are rotatedby means of the sprocket-chains 13, and the cam-surfaces 27 beingstationary the pinions 24 will traverse the same as the disks rotate.When the pinions are opposite the broken-away part of the cam-surface27, the weight of the fingers 22 will turn them within the respectiverecesses in the disk, and when turned to this position one of theshoulders 25 will engage with the cam-sur face 27 and retain thelifting-finger within the recess. As the teeth 28 engage the teeth ofthe fractional pinion 24 the shaft 23 will be rotated about its axisuntil the other shoulder 25 reaches the surface of the cam-plate 27 andthe finger 22 projects outward from the disk. This movement occurs asthe fingers 22 are opposite the beets. These fingers thus break up thesoil and engaging the beets carry them upward and rearward, extr'actingthem from the soil and discharging them upon the fingers 9. Thepulverized soil will pass downward between the fingers 9 and the chains10, and the beets will be carried away by the conveyer and deposited inany suitable receptacle or upon the surface of the soil.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a beet-harvester, the combination of an inclined share to rununder the beats and soil and raise the same, a rotative disk at eachside of the share, fingers pivoted to the disks and adapted to engagethe beets, means for projecting the fingers from the disks, and

, means for rotating the disks.

2. In a beet-harvester, an inclined share adapted to run under the beetsand soil and raise the same, a colter at each side of the share, arotative disk near each colter and having a sharp beveled edge, fingerspivoted to the disks and adapted to project therefrom, means forrotating the disks, and means for projecting the fingers from the diskswhen the fingers are opposite the share.

3. In a beet-harvester, an inclined share, a pivoted plate at the rearof the share, means for adjusting the inclination of the plate, fingersprojecting rearward from the plate, a

rotative disk at each side of the share and having a sharp edge, fingerspivoted to the disks, means for projecting the fingers from the diskswhen opposite the share, and means for rotating the disks.

4. In a beet-harvester, the combination of an inclined share, a rotarydisk at each side of the share, radial rock-shafts journaled in thedisks, fingers on the outer ends of the rock-shafts, means for turningthe shafts about their axes to project the fingers from the disks, andmeans for rotating the disks.

5. In a beet-harvester, the combination of an inclined share, a colterat each side of the share, a disk near each colter and havin a bevelededge, segmental recesses in the disks, fingers in the recesses andadapted to turn outward therefrom, radial shafts supporting the fingers,fractional pinions on the shafts and having shoulders, cam plates havingfixed camsurfaces to engage the shoulders and teeth to engage thepinions, and means for rotating the disks.

6. In a beet-harvester, a double beam having colters attached, a shareextending between the colters, cam-plates attached to the beams andhaving cam-surfaces and teeth, a shaft journaled 1n the cam plates,disks mounted on the shaft and having beveled edges adjacent to thecolters, radial shafts journaled in the disks, fractional pinions on theinner ends of the shafts and engaged by the teeth on the camplates,fingers on the shafts, and means for rotating the shaft on which thedisks are mounted.

7. In a beet-harvester, parallel beams spaced apart and verticallyadjustable, colters on the beams, an inclined share attached to thecolters, a pivoted plate at the rear of the share, fingers on the rearof the plate, means for adjusting the plate, elevatorchains extendingbetween the fingers, camplates attached to the beams and havingcam-surfaces and teeth, a shaft journaled in the cam-plates, disksmounted on the shaft and having beveled edges near the colters, radialshafts journaled in the disks, fingers on the outer ends of the shafts,fractional pinions on the inner ends of the shafts and having shouldersto engage the cam surfaces, and means for rotating the shaft on whichthe disks are mounted.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT B. LOVETT.

l/Vitnesses E. B. NEFF, F. L. OROUTT.

